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Holeeeee Zuffenhausen. Did Porsche really build this thing, or did a comet crash into the back of a red 911?

On our first lap out in the Carrera GT, we knew the double-century mark was going down big-time. The digital speedo was showing 186 mph on the back straight, and the Carrera GT was still accelerating like it had fallen off a cliff. What kind of velocities was Herta going to reach in this animal?

We didn’t wait long. Herta went out, immediately clocked two awesome laps, then returned to the pits to announce he’d gone as fast as he could go. “Really nice,” he beamed. “Very quick and stable in the corners, the steering is tight, my comfort level was really high. Driving this one fast was easy.” The computers backed up Herta’s confidence level, revealing that he’d sailed through the banking at more than 185 mph before topping out at 201.5 mph at the end of the straightaway. “On a longer straight, I’m sure the Porsche would’ve given us a bit more,” Herta added. “It was still climbing ever so slightly.” Asked how close he’d come to the corner before he’d finally had to hit the brakes, Herta laughed. “I shut down when I got scared.”

There’s that electrifying V-10 engine, for instance. When have we ever heard such wild, searing screams from a Porsche powerplant before? Built with a 68-degree angle, the all-aluminum V-10 displaces 5.7 liters, breathes through four valves per cylinder, and pressurizes the fuel and air in its cylinders like a high-octane espresso machine (compression ratio is a race car-like 12.0:1). A large bore/short stroke design helps the engine spin to a sizzling 8400-rpm redline. All this mechanical wonderfulness produces an astounding 605 naturally aspirated horsepower at 8000 rpm. With 435 pound-feet, the Porsche trails the group in torque output.

The engine mates with a conventional six-speed manual transmission, and it’s here that the Carrera GT’s only weak link materializes. The car’s tiny carbon-ceramic clutch allows almost no slip–because there’s little flywheel effect, it’s off or on like a light switch. All of us–even Herta–stalled the car a few times, a fact that won’t thrill buyers hoping to flaunt their Carrera GTs along Sunset Boulevard for some low-speed/high-profile cafe fly-bys.

You’d have to dig to find much else about the Carrera GT that isn’t thoroughly wonderful. The Porsche proved even quicker than the Ford GT. After getting used to the tricky clutch action, our test driver cracked off a run to 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds and an incredible quarter-mile sprint of 11.1 seconds at 133.4 mph. In fact, the V-10 proved so potent, so cammy, our man had to shift into second gear early just to keep the rear tires from breaking loose as the screaming engine soared into the meat of its power curve. “Absolutely the wildest stock engine I’ve ever driven,” was his breathless assertion.

The Carrera GT proved equally audacious in our suite of handling tests. Slalom speed was a phenomenal (and group-high) 73.2 mph, our driver adding that the Porsche was also the easiest of the three cars to hurl through the cones. The brakes–giant composite-ceramic discs with ABS–were simply astounding. The more we used them, the better they worked (apparently, there is no German word for “fade”). The Carrera GT slammed to a stop from 100 mph in only 277 feet. Only one production car we’ve ever tested, the Dodge Viper at 275 feet, has pulled up shorter. With so much power, grip, balance, and stopping prowess, it’s no surprise the Carrera GT also posted the group’s quickest time in our figure-eight test (see sidebar).

At 3258 pounds, the carbon-fiber, magnesium-wheeled Carrera GT is just 178 pounds heavier than the last Boxster S we tested (August 2004)–despite being more than 11 inches longer and more than five inches wider. The Carrera GT feels light, too–not rattly or insubstantial, but quick, responsive, delightfully immune to inertia. Yet little has been jettisoned to make the weight. The Carrera GT has power windows, A/C, leather seats, a nice stereo, and a nav system. The car even offers a set of luxurious fitted luggage.

Is the Carrera GT beautiful? Our editors were mixed in their opinions, agreeing only that the exterior is loaded with interesting shapes (including a large rear wing that automatically deploys above 75 mph). Our view from the driver’s seat, however, was unanimous: We’ve driven few cars so utterly dazzling.

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